Padres hurt Diamondbacks' playoff bid with shutout win
Kyle Higashioka broke open a scoreless game in the top of the ninth with a two-run homer, Brandon Lockridge followed with a solo shot, and the San Diego Padres, playing mostly reserves, downed the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-0 on Saturday night in the second meeting of a three-game series in Phoenix.
Donovan Solano finished 4-for-5 and added another two-run homer with two outs in a stunning five-run ninth inning, and San Diego (93-68) won despite starting only three regulars after it clinched the fourth seed in the National League postseason with a 5-3 win over Arizona on Friday night.
A.J. Puk (4-9) took the loss for Arizona after coming on with one out in the ninth, allowing three hits and two long balls for the first-time ever in his career as a reliever.
Meanwhile, Arizona (88-73) had only two hits as the Diamondbacks desperately seek to claim a National League wild-card berth.
The D-backs lost for the fifth time in six games and are on the outside looking in of a three-team race for the two final NL wild-card spots ahead of their regular-season finale Sunday in Arizona.
David Peralta, a former D-back, got on in the ninth with a single to center, before Higashioka smacked a slider into the left field seats and Lockridge followed two pitches later by launching his first major league home run on his first major league hit.
Solano, playing in place of star first baseman Luis Arraez, went deep against Scott McGough. Wandy Peralta (3-2) was credited with the win for San Diego.
Arizona starter Eduardo Rodriguez allowed four singles, three to Solano, in 4 2/3 scoreless innings. The lefty struck out three and walked two before right-hander Kevin Ginkel came on with two on in the fifth and got Manny Machado to fly out.
Ginkel, Joe Mantiply, Ryan Thompson, and Justin Martinez combined for 3 2/3 scoreless into the ninth, as D-backs manager Torey Lovullo emptied the bullpen in search of a win, and they delivered. But the Arizona offense didn't.
Corbin Carroll had the Diamondbacks' first hit in the sixth and Christian Walker had a single in the ninth, with Arizona already down five.
The Padres recalled 25-year-old right-hander Randy Vasquez (4-7) from Triple-A El Paso to start Saturday's game.
In his first major league start since Aug. 31 and third time facing Arizona this season, Vasquez surrendered only one hit through six innings, but hit two batters and walked one.
Carroll doubled off Vasquez into right field to begin the bottom of the sixth. Joc Pederson reached on a catcher's inference call against Higashioka to put two on with one out.
Carroll advanced to third and Pederson to second with steals on a Christian Walker strikeout, but Vasquez struck out Lourdes Gurriel Jr. with a sweeper to end the inning.
A Geraldo Perdomo walk put the D-backs' leadoff hitter on again in the eighth against Wendy Peralta, but Arizona again couldn't score. With one out, Ketel Marte reached on a force and pinch-hitter Randal Grichuk lined out to Machado at third to end the inning.
